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Friday 6 September 2024
Three things to know about deionized water
In precision-driven industries where quality is non-negotiable, deionized water plays a vital role. Unlike readily available tap water, it undergoes a rigorous purification process, removing dissolved minerals and salts to achieve exceptional purity. This meticulously treated water supports diverse industries, enabling manufacturers to produce cutting-edge technologies and safeguard product integrity.Here are three interesting insights on the unique properties of deionized water:Demystifying the TransformationDeionized water is water that has been stripped of its conductive constituents, rendering it electrically neutral and chemically inert. This is achieved by running water through ion exchange resins which act as microscopic magnets, selectively attracting and capturing dissolved minerals and salts in the water.Why deionize? Though inconsequential for everyday uses, the presence of dissolved ions in tap water can pose significant challenges in industrial applications. They can disrupt sensitive chemical reactions, corrode vital equipment, and compromise product quality. Stripped of disruptive mineral interferences, deionized water forms a predictable and dependable base for a variety of high-precision applications.Purity with NuanceWhile deionized and distilled water strive for the crown of purity, their paths diverge. Distillation relies on the age-old art of boiling, capturing the pristine steam that condenses into pure water, leaving behind a concentrated broth of minerals. Deionization, on the other hand, employs the finesse of ion-hungry resins, directly extracting the offending ions.Production methods: Distillation demands significant energy expenditures, while deionization often boasts a gentler footprint. However, deionized water possesses a thirst for atmospheric carbon dioxide, leading to slight acidity over time. Distilled water, on the other hand, maintains its neutral stance.Technology's guiding hand: Both processes have thrived under the watchful eye of technological advancements. Modern deionization systems utilize sophisticated mixed-bed resins for enhanced ion removal, while real-time monitoring ensures consistent water purity. Purity Reigns SupremeDeionized water is essential in many industries outside of sterile laboratories, powering progress and safeguarding quality. Some examples include:Semiconductor fabrication: In the intricate world of chip manufacturing, deionized water is used extensively for cleaning and rinsing electronic components, circuit boards, and other sensitive parts, washing away contaminants, oils, and particles that would threaten the performance and reliability of the electronic devices. Food & beverage production: Deionized water is used as an ingredient water to ensure consistent water quality as this can alter the taste, texture, and appearance of the final products. Power generation: The use of deionized water in cooling towers and heat exchangers prevents scale formation and corrosion, ensuring boilers and turbines hum efficiently.Textile processing: From fabric rinsing to dyeing, deionized water plays a crucial role in removing impurities and residual chemicals to ensure the quality and durability of textiles. Chemicals & petrochemicals manufacturing: High-purity deionized water is used in production and formulation as impurities can lead to unwanted chemical reactions or interactions.Embracing the Power of PurityDeionized water is more than just pure; it's a critical element in ensuring accuracy, quality, and safety across various industries. Its multifaceted applications, from powering scientific research to ensuring the efficacy of life-saving medicines, showcase its undeniable significance.Veolia Water Technologies, a leader in water treatment solutions, recognizes the vital role deionization plays in various sectors.The company's Service Deionization offering provides customized solutions tailored to specific purity requirements and operational needs. With expertise in resin selection, system design, and ongoing maintenance, Veolia ensures a reliable and cost-effective supply of deionized water for clients across China, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand.To find out more about Veolia's Service Deionization solutions, please visitwww.veoliawatertechnologies.com/asia/en/solutions/services/service-deionization or email marcom.apac@veolia.com.
Thursday 5 September 2024
Pilatus Biosciences makes breakthroughs in immunotherapy, demonstrating remarkable effectiveness in treating cancers with unmet medical needs
In recent decades, cancer immunotherapy, which harnesses the power of the host's immune system to eliminate cancer cells, has marked a significant advancement in cancer treatment. This approach offers a more precise and personalized therapeutic option compared to traditional chemotherapy and targeted therapies.However, emerging evidence indicates that the metabolic dysregulation within cancer cells creates physiological conditions in tumors that suppress anti-tumor immunity by reprogramming the tumor microenvironment (TME) to be more immunosuppressive. This challenge hampers the effectiveness of cancer immunotherapy, highlighting the importance of targeting immunometabolism—ushering in a new chapter for cancer treatment.Metabolism is a core process underlying essentially all biological functions. The integration of metabolism with immunity, known as immunometabolism, is at the forefront of immunology research, as it continues to transform the field.Given its novelty and potential in cancer immunotherapy, immunometabolism is garnering increasing attention from the global medical and biotechnological industries. According to Raven Lin, co-founder and CEO of Pilatus Biosciences, cancer cells predominantly consume essential nutrients and produce harmful metabolic waste, thereby altering immune responses within the TME.By dissecting immunometabolism, we can understand how the interplay between immunology and metabolism impacts the functions of T cells and other immune cells. This understanding can lead to the development of innovative treatments aimed at reprogramming the TME and enhancing the effectiveness of immunotherapy.Pilatus Biosciences is advancing preclinical studies and translational medical research in the field of immunometabolism at globally renowned research institutions and medical centers. The company has also developed multiple pipelines aimed at creating innovative treatments that target immunometabolism.Unveiling outstanding PLT012 preclinical resultsFounded by Prof. Ping-Chih Ho and Dr. Raven Lin at the Ludwig Cancer Research (Lausanne), Pilatus Biosciences pioneers the development of first-in-class biologics targeting metabolic checkpoints. These cutting-edge innovations aim to advance cancer immunotherapy and tackle the current challenges in cancer treatment. The Pilatus Biosciences team boasts extensive knowledge and experience in immunology, oncology, and biotechnology, providing a solid foundation for its biologics research and development. Continuing to push the frontiers of cancer medicine, Pilatus Biosciences is committed to delivering more effective and safer treatment options to conquer cancer's greatest challenges.Pilatus Biosciences' first groundbreaking antibody, PLT012, was developed to block CD36-mediated fatty acid uptake, driving immunometabolic reprogramming in the TME. This leads to remarkable anti-tumor efficacy and inhibits the growth and spread of cancer cells. Pilatus Biosciences has presented preclinical proof-of-concept data of PLT012, particularly in the context of liver and colon cancer, at several international medical conferences.As a leading research group in immunometabolism, Prof. Ping-Chih Ho, co-founder of Pilatus Biosciences, focuses on studying how immune cells' metabolic adaptations are regulated or modulated in response to the tumor microenvironment. Prof. Ho's in-depth research on T cell metabolism in the tumor microenvironment has laid a solid foundation for Pilatus Biosciences' development of innovative immunotherapy and played a critical role in Pilatus Biosciences' remarkable achievements.Three major bottlenecks in today's immunotherapy are: (1) exhaustion and dysfunction of anti-tumor immune cells, (2) immunosuppression within the tumor microenvironment, and (3) the challenge of selectively activating anti-tumor immune cells without affecting systemic immunity in the body. Pilatus Biosciences' PLT012 addresses these issues by blocking CD36-mediated fatty acid uptake. This immunometabolic mechanism selectively activates anti-tumor immune cells and reduces immunosuppression, effectively overcoming the current limitations of immunotherapy. Credit: Pilatus BiosciencesPilatus Biosciences establishes a Subsidiary in Taiwan to strengthen R&D and fundraising effortsLeveraging its strong expertise in immunometabolism research, Pilatus Biosciences further works with a renowned European cancer center to establish an ex-vivo patient sample culture platform. This platform retains the tumor microenvironment and cell populations of patients' cancer tissues, enabling efficacy assessment across various cancers.As part of its strategy to enhance R&D capabilities, Pilatus Biosciences plans to build a lab in Taiwan starting in July 2024. Pilatus Biosciences' endeavors not only provide more precise data for personalized medical care but also facilitate the selection of indications and biomarkers during biologics development. This approach can significantly reduce the risks of biologics development while greatly benefiting the advances of personalized medical care.According to Lin, Taiwan has cultivated a comprehensive industry ecosystem for pharmaceutical industry from translational research disease model, manufacturing, pre-clinical testing, and clinical development, gradually establishing itself as a global leader in this field. To accelerate its development, in 2023, Pilatus Biosciences partnered with Mosaic Venture Labs, a startup accelerator based in TTA.This collaboration aims to leverage Mosaic Venture Labs' influence and resources in the Asia-Pacific region to drive the company's growth and advancement through every stage of R&D. Pilatus Biosciences is now collaborating with multiple Taiwan-based research institutions and aims to build a strong and agile operation team in Taiwan that will connect with the global research community.Phase-one human clinical trials for PLT012 in Taiwan and the US are scheduled to begin in early 2025. Mosaic Venture Labs is assisting Pilatus Biosciences in a round of funding aimed at raising US$10 million. The startup accelerator's network of biotech venture capital partners in Taiwan will help Pilatus Biosciences build up a solid foundation for its subsequent development. Hopefully, all these efforts will enable Pilatus Biosciences to present more treatment options and opportunities for patients through its biologics development achievements.
Thursday 5 September 2024
Quebec's AI hub drives semiconductor research and development
Chip complexity is growing beyond the capabilities of human intelligence alone.This is why semiconductor evolution requires electronic design automation (EDA) with AI. Mila, the Montréal Institute for Learning Algorithms, is working closely with industry to develop these IC EDA as it believes breakthroughs will require both AI and domain expertise.Reinforcement learning can help explore solution spaces when tool parameters and processes can be optimized by analyzing past component failures via Deep Learning. Other use cases include modeling physics environments to reduce compute overhead through Foundation Models, AI-guided Inverse Design to accelerate the discovery of new precursor materials, chip energy efficiency improved with Distributed Learning, and Computer Vision for rapid wafer quality inspection.Mila, the world's largest academic research center in deep learning, is at the forefront of developing these methods. Founded by Professor Yoshua Bengio of the Université de Montreal in Québec, the research institute in artificial intelligence brings together over 1,200 specialized researchers in machine learning. It is globally recognized for its significant contributions, especially in the fields of language modeling, automatic translation, object recognition, and generative models.Québec's great AI hub is made up of +18,000 university students in programs related to AI and data analytics. The province is home to the headquarters of Scale AI, the AI supercluster dedicated to Canada's supply chain. This prominent AI ecosystem feeds from surrounding strategic industries and vice versa. This includes life sciences, quantum sciences, optic-photonics, and of course microelectronics among others.Québec is an immense collaborative space with intense synergy. All levels of government with industry and academia collaborate very tightly for opportunities to foster. Technum is Québec's innovation zone for microelectronics in Bromont. It is home to some of the largest companies – ABB, IBM, Teledyne – as well as innovation collaborative centers such as C2Mi and CMC, providing access to state-of-the-art technology for making micro-nanotechnologies, and for training industry-ready graduates.On the AI side, Mila plays a central role in the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy–the first national AI strategy in the world– for which a 2-billion-dollar investment was announced in the April 2024 federal budget. Thanks to applied research and its large talent pool, Mila is a real catalyst for development for industry partners at home and abroad. Just in 2023 and in collaboration with Intel, they published 12 material discovery papers on automating AI-driven discovery of novel materials, applying causal machine learning for climate science, and accelerating the study of molecular drivers of diseases and drug discovery.AI's already crucial integration with semiconductor manufacturing will grow in every step of the supply chain as shrinking components introduce novel challenges. The length of time from design to manufacture will shrink as AI produces faster designs, fewer manufacturing errors, and quicker recalibrations.Radical innovations will emerge as a result of growing compute demand, a faster pace of chip design, and new AI-driven material discoveries. This innovation can already be seen in Québec, in which semiconductor and AI ecosystems expand and synchronize.The Mila is cultivating the next generation of Canadian compute by focusing on three areas relevant to the semiconductor revolution: AI for material discovery through experimental new architecture, tighter co-development between fundamental research and industry for AI-specific chips and firmware optimization and finally, integration of AI in IC EDA. The technological advancements meet the specifics of the latest generation chips and semiconductors.Invest Québec, the financial arm and economic development agency for the Québec government collaborates closely with foreign companies to kickstart their expansion in the American Northeast corridor where a fully integrated value chain for semiconductors is building itself from the ground up.To learn more about what Québec's ecosystem can bring to your business contact Rachel Yin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-yin/, Info@Invest-Quebec.com
Wednesday 4 September 2024
Enabling MarTech with AI, AccuHit builds all-encompassing marketing solutions
In the rapidly changing business world, data-driven strategies have become crucial to how companies can increase revenue. Digital marketing tools that play an instrumental role in data-driven strategies are also rapidly evolving.AccuHit, committed to MarTech solutions, offers three MarTech platforms including AccuNIX, AccuCDP, and Accu3DM. It has recently introduced AccuFLOW.ai, developed on the foundation of its AI strength. According to AccuHit's associate technical director Bing-Jin Lin, featuring no-code AI, AccuFLOW.ai provides tools that enable companies to build their own generative AI platforms for a diversity of use scenarios with no need for specific expertise. Developing AI-enabled MarTech innovations, AccuHit provides three major platformsAccording to Lin, AI is making giant strides and the launch of ChatGPT at year-end 2022 has spurred a wave of generative AI developments. This has profoundly impacted MarTech.The business world is now paying attention to how to incorporate generative AI into their marketing strategies to thereby make their marketing channels and models more intelligent and boost overall productivity and performance. Moreover, businesses have been making efforts to slash the costs of developing applications in recent years. This has also been driving them to increasingly adopt AI.AccuHit has developed three core products to meet MarTech's demand. AccuCDP is a multi-channel customer data platform that collects and consolidates data from various sources. It processes both structured and non-structured data and thereby tracks each user's interactions across different channels to provide companies with complete insights into the traces of users' activities, therefore enabling companies to create highly personalized user experiences.Accu3DM is a data-driven decision engine combining a URL-shortening tool and AI-based analysis. Not only does Accu3DM quickly generate and manage short URLs, but it also uses short URLs for in-depth analysis of user behavior. Its target URL management model integrates multiple short URL data generated by a batch of target web pages to provide companies with a global view of marketing effect analysis.AccuNIX is an all-encompassing conversational commerce platform featuring chatbot support on multiple social media networks and seamless integration with CRM systems to boost management efficiency. It also provides a wealth of marketing tools that effectively increase user engagement and brand stickiness. Companies can also use their data analysis capability and labeling system to precisely divide customers into target groups and create highly personalized marketing campaigns.AccuHit's latest AI solution AccuFLOW.ai. Credit: AccuHitLeveraging generative AI to raise MarTech application performanceIn early 2023, AccuHit formed a dedicated AI team that developed AccuFLOW.ai, following its three core MarTech platforms. Lin pointed out that AccuFLOW.ai focuses on generative AI applications and works with AccuNIX and AccuCDP to bring greater benefits. It empowers AccuNIX for marketing through social media networks. AccuCDP collects and analyzes user data from various channels and conducts user profiling. AccuFLOW.ai then uses the user profile data from AccuCDP to generate customized marketing content.AccuFLOW.ai supports a diversity of corporate use scenarios. For example, customer service departments can use AccuFLOW.ai to build an AI chatbot that responds to product inquiries and redirects customers to human agents when appropriate. It can also help backend support agents quickly find answers to customers' questions. AccuHit's platforms together form an end-to-end smart system that enables companies to collect and analyze data, perform precision marketing, and provide smart customer service. With AccuHit's platforms, companies can increase their marketing effectiveness and raise customer satisfaction. AccuHit's AccuFLOW.ai is being used in a wide range of applications. For example, a leading automaker uses AccuFLOW.ai for employee training, automobile sales, and maintenance services to optimize its internal processes. There are also companies in the finance and insurance sector as well as cosmetics retailers that use AccuFLOW.ai to process data traffic and use AI chatbots for customer service and product sales.AccuHit expands overseas at a steady pace, said Lin. By joining forces with customers and partners abroad, AccuHit has made contact with companies in Indonesia, Singapore, and Japan to gradually introduce its products to foreign markets.Since its establishment in 2018, AccuHit has been enjoying rapid growth in both the applications of its products and the revenue it generates. The growth is a result of the fact that AccuHit's products and their quality meet companies' marketing needs. More importantly, Taiwan's startup environment and TTA's support also play a critical role.Lin noted that the government ramping up subsidies and knowledge-sharing programs has greatly benefited startup teams. Furthermore, TTA offering workshops and venue spaces also helped AccuHit strengthen its operation and management skills and increase its product visibility. Lin therefore hopes the government will extend and expand its policies to provide even more powerful support for Taiwan-based startups.Going forward, although AI will be the center of market attention, following cutting-edge technologies will not be AccuHit's only focus. Lin emphasized that AccuHit develops products to solve real-world problems. It endeavors to help companies raise operation efficiency and competitiveness in the digital era using the most suitable solutions.
Wednesday 4 September 2024
Strategic synergies in Québec: AI, microelectronics, and green energy
World leaders in wafer and microelectronic subsystem assembly have chosen Québec for its strong government support and industry knowledge through the whole value chain particularly in advanced packaging assembly and Microelectronic subsystem assembly. Examples of microelectronics companies located in Québec include IBM, ABB, and Teledyne DALSA.Smart electronic systems is a booming sector in Québec. Over 86% of companies export their production benefiting from Canada's 15 free trade agreements. The industry is highly integrated in regional synergies with several other key sectors including aerospace, with Québec's six prime contractors and nearly 15 world-class OEM integrators, but also automobile for which this part of the Americas is famous.These synergies have prompted the birth of an innovation zone in the city of Bromont strategically located in the North-East Corridor. Québec sits within America's semiconductor material industry, boosted by the CHIPS Act. 60+ new semiconductor ecosystem projects were announced across the US, including 23 new chip fabs and the expansions of 9 fabs mainly in the state of New York. The Québec-U.S. cross-border North-East corridor thus hosts an integrated semiconductors supply chain with facilities involved in chip design, manufacturing, and R&D.In Canada, Bromont has the highest concentration of jobs in microelectronics and clean rooms. The presence of world leaders, such as IBM, Teledyne DALSA, Fabritec, and GE Aviation, is a testament to the region's traction in the sector. IBM's plant in Bromont is "the largest semiconductor packaging and testing facility in North America." The companies also benefit from green energy from the hydroelectric powerhouse.The zone is reinforced by the presence of organizations reflective of the collaborative mindset. Technum Québec implements tools and processes to increase innovations, commercialization, exports, and collaborations to stimulate technology transfers between economic players in the zone.C2MI MiQro Innovation Collaborative Centre, on the other hand, is the largest electronic systems R&D center in Canada. It represents an essential link between applied research and commercialization specializing in MEMS manufacturing, advanced semiconductor assembly, compound semiconductors and electronic systems, and printable electronics. Finally, CMC Microsystem, a not-for-profit organization, provides access to the world's best design tools, manufacturing technologies, and engineering support for making micro-nanotechnologies, and for training industry-ready graduates.Québec's rising positioning is a true reflection of industry partnership with governments. Generous public incentive programs have been implemented to propel the strategic sector among others. At the federal level, the FABrIC initiative has focused on highlighting the niche technologies already present in Canada to grow from competitive advantages. These technologies include silicon photonics, mechanical systems (MEMS), compound semiconductors, and superconducting quantum devices.More synergies take place horizontally across industries. Montreal is home to the world's largest research center in deep learning: the Mila. AI's already crucial integration with semiconductor manufacturing will grow in every step of the supply chain as shrinking components introduce novel challenges. This is why Mila has been collaborating with companies toward AI-infused electronic design automation (EDA).Invest Québec, the financial arm and economic development agency of the Québec government has been playing a major role in the promotion of strategic collaboration. The organization has over 1,300 employees working out of 17 offices across Québec and 12 more around the world. Their teams have been working very closely with foreign companies from Asia and other parts of the world, in setting up their projects in Québec while connecting them with the right local actors both in AI and microelectronics.To learn more about what Québec's ecosystem can bring to your business contact Rachel Yin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-yin/). Info@Invest-Quebec.com
Wednesday 4 September 2024
Best Modules driving electronic module innovation - opening new smart application perspectives
Recent years have shown rapid growth in electronic modules, revealing them as engineering go-to solutions for the development of various electronic devices and systems. The primary advantages of electronic modules include a high level of functional integration, flexibility, and ease of use, allowing for rapid engineering prototype design and testing.In using available electronic modules, engineers can focus more on system integration and application development without requiring excessive time investment in basic circuit design. Additionally, the standardized interfaces and modular design utilized in electronic modules permit simplified and more efficient system maintenance and upgrades.Best Modules Driving Electronic Module Innovation - Opening New Smart Application Perspectives; Credit: Best ModulesDiverse applications of solution modulesTo meet the market demand for efficient development solutions, Best Modules is committed to the development of a wide range of module solutions for various applications. These are categorized into four main types:(1) Input modules: These include touch and proximity sensors, known for their excellent stability, adjustable sensitivity, and ability to learn the sensing distance. These features combine to enable the rapid reception of external signals and data.(2) Sensor modules: These are used to measure environmental parameters and convert them into digital signals. The product range includes temperature and humidity sensors, smart homes, security devices, and health measurements.(3) Output modules: These include music playback, LED lighting effect demonstrations, atomizers, and wireless charging modules. The atomizer module, for example, is versatile and applicable for use in humidifiers, aroma diffusers, and even in areas such as art and agriculture.(4) Wireless communication modules: These modules offer low-power consumption Sub-1GHz, 2.4GHz, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and NFC modules. Here, users can choose the most suitable product for their specific application requirements based on application scenarios, transmission distance, and other requirements.Best Modules' solution modules, known for their high stability and consistency, are supplied with comprehensive technical documentation, making them ideal for volume production. These modules are already in use in various application fields, including consumer electronics, industrial automation, Internet of Things, and smart home applications. All products are rigorously tested, quality-controlled, and calibrated before shipment, which ensures their reliable performance, even in harsh environments.The rise of technological industries in Southeast Asia has generated a significant increasing demand for Best Modules' electronic modules in this region. The increasing demand for inquiries and development is particularly evident for health measurement modules and RF wireless communication modules in countries such as India and Vietnam.Innovative modules driving electronic trendsIn response to the increasing maker movement, Best Modules has also developed Arduino-compatible development boards, the BMduino-UNO and BMduino Nano, along with a series of modules for the BMduino ecosystem. By using the BMduino-UNO or BMduino Nano development boards and a simple 5-pin connector, users can connect a range of products and accessories without the need for soldering, making it much easier to implement innovative ideas. This has provided an efficient and economical solution for makers, students, and engineers.Best Modules will be participating in international electronic exhibitions this year, including "Electronica India 2024" in Delhi, India, from September 18-20 and "Electronica Munich 2024" in Munich, Germany, from November 12-15. At these exhibitions, Best Modules will be showcasing their latest electronic module products and solutions, allowing users around the world to experience these products firsthand and engage in in-depth discussions with our team. All are welcome to join us and explore together the boundless possibilities of our electronic modules.Best Modules offers a wide range of high-quality electronic modules and provides their customers with comprehensive technical services to meet their diverse customer needs, including services for customized modules. Backed up by its experienced technology team, Best Modules offers a full range of services from design and development through to technical assistance.With its continuous innovation and product optimization, Best Modules is committed to helping customers achieve their business goals and obtain market success. For any module development needs, please contact Best Modules at service@bestmodulescorp.com.Best Modules also offers a wealth of product resources. Please scan the QR code link to get detailed information.
Tuesday 3 September 2024
iCatch Technology to showcase GDPR-compliant dashcam solutions at SEMICON exhibition
iCatch Technology, a leading AI image processing IC design company, is excited to announce its participation in the SEMICON Taiwan 2024 Exhibition, taking place from September 4-6, at Nangang TaiNEX Hall 2, 1F, Smart Mobility Pavilion.At the exhibition, iCatch will showcase Privacy Masking Solutions for GDPR-compliant dashcams powered by the CR5 Automotive AI Vision SoC. The company will also conduct two key sessions on the Smart Mobility Pavilion Stage, offering insights into emerging automotive imaging technologies.A standout feature of the CR5 is its advanced privacy masking capabilities, including face and license plate blurring, designed to comply with the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This regulation mandates the protection of personal data, such as facial images and license plates captured by dashcams, before storage, use, or sharing.The CR5's secure engine can automatically encrypt original video streams when the driver accesses the recordings. Only authorized OEMs and law enforcement can decrypt this data, ensuring GDPR compliance while maintaining data integrity.The CR5 AI Vision SoC, designed for automotive applications, integrates ThetaEye AI ISP Gen 8 for efficient noise reduction and superior low-light imaging. It supports up to 8 cameras with 120dB High Dynamic Range (HDR) and Local Tone Mapping, delivering a total resolution of 4K60.The SoC features a 1.5 TOPS AI Neural Processor Unit (NPU) for robust AI processing, and a low-power Smart H.265 codec. It also includes an audio DSP with 3A algorithms, USB3.2 Gen 1 and SDIO 3.0 interfaces, enhanced memory bandwidth with LPDDR4 support, and a secure engine that supports AES encryption standards, ensuring robust data protection.Weber Hsu, General Manager of iCatch Technology, comments, "iCatch Technology's commitment to the Automotive Imaging OE market underscores our focus on innovation and expanding our impact. We are enthusiastic about future opportunities and dedicated to leveraging our existing SoC powered by ThetaEye AI ISP. By incorporating ThetaEye AI ISP IP into a composable VPU platform, we offer customized SoC design services tailored to meet specific client needs."iCatch Technology has made significant strides in the OEM dashcam market, with mass production scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2024, showing our commitment to the automotive vision sector. Interested parties are encouraged to connect with iCatch Technology. For inquiries, please contact our sales representatives at https://www.icatchtek.com/Requests.
Tuesday 3 September 2024
BigGo refines shopping experience with an all-around price comparison platform
Many consumers find it difficult to navigate through today's flourishing e-commerce landscape and have trouble comparing prices across shopping websites. BigGo's price comparison search engine allows users to quickly find and compare over 3 billion price listings and discounts, delivering best-of-breed, high-performance, and valuable shopping assistant services that help consumers easily compare offerings across major e-commerce platforms and make smart purchase decisions. According to BigGo CEO Dewei Yen, BigGo's intelligent search capabilities enable a diversity of applications to help both B2C and B2B service operators deliver premium user experience end to end.Yen founded BigGo in 2016, when Taiwan's e-commerce landscape underwent significant changes with foreign e-commerce operators expanding into Taiwan one after another. At that time, consumers had to switch between different online shopping platforms to compare prices. Yen developed a price comparison system for his own use when shopping for his family.Seeing how his system could also make online shopping more efficient for other consumers and this could be a good business opportunity, Yen decided to commercialize it by launching the BigGo price comparison website. Online price comparison was exactly what Taiwan's e-commerce market needed at the time so BigGo was enthusiastically embraced. Its single-month active users exceeded one million within just one year after launch. Leveraging comprehensive price comparison services, BigGo expands its footprintYen noted that BigGo is much more than a price comparison website. It is an all-encompassing shopping assistant offering cross-platform price comparisons, BIRSE image search, social media comment checks, price monitoring, and product description generators. For price comparison, users can quickly compare prices of goods on major e-commerce platforms, whether it's B2C or C2C. Its image search engine is based on advanced technologies similar to LLM-based AI systems.Instead of simply comparing images by colors and shapes, BigGo's image search engine accurately captures the images' content and style so it is particularly good at conducting searches for merchandise not easily described in words. Furthermore, BigGo incorporates searches for social media posts and short videos so that users can check unboxing videos before they decide to place an order. With these features, BigGo services cover the entire shopping process from start to finish.It was found that users generally compare prices on BigGo five minutes before they decide to make a purchase, added Yen. BigGo hopes to expand its footprint and play a more vital role in users' shopping process, starting with initial information gathering, mid-stage price comparison, and final purchase decision-making. On BigGo, users can search for goods using texts or images, check social media posts, compare prices and discounts across different platforms, and finally go to the platform of his or her choice to complete the transaction.As to the business model, BigGo generates revenue from advertisements and commissions. For example, it gets paid for the Google AdSense banners on its website. It also gets paid by e-commerce operators when consumers directed from BigGo make a purchase on their platform.Apart from the two revenue sources, BigGo continues to actively expand its service offerings. In 2021, it began to develop price monitoring services that help e-commerce operators keep an eye on their prices against those of their competitors. With such services, e-commerce operators can stay aware of market changes and remain agile with their pricing strategies.Boasting comprehensive services, BigGo enjoys an 80% share of Taiwan's price comparison website market. It is also making active efforts toward overseas expansion with a focus on Southeast Asia. It is the No.1 price comparison website in Thailand and Indonesia while operating online services in the US and Japan.According to Yen, built on a uniform platform design, BigGo provides services in different languages to meet local market needs. Among the world's very few cross-border price comparison websites, BigGo will endeavor to provide even more comprehensive services.BigGo home page and short video interface. Credit: BigGoA positive startup environment nurtures BigGo while TTA and Orbit Startups provide valuable supportYen thinks the support from Orbit Startups and TTA plays an instrumental role in driving the successful commercialization of his search engine and helping BigGo gain a foothold in the fiercely competitive market. Orbit Startups' Lifetime Program is aimed at not only initial-stage funding but also long-term partnerships. Orbit Startups keeps watching BigGo's progress and helps find business opportunities whenever BigGo introduces new services.TTA gave BigGo assistance when it was first established. For example, TTA offered a promotional platform for business partnerships, a venue for BigGo to hold product/service launch events, the use of office space, and especially opportunities to participate in all types of events and presentations. These have greatly benefited BigGo and other online service providers.In sum, Yen thinks Taiwan's startup scene is developing in a positive cycle. He hopes that industry-government-academia collaborations will continue to improve Taiwan's startup environment and invigorate Taiwan's e-commerce and technology development.Going forward, BigGo will continue to endeavor toward big data analytics and machine learning algorithms and strengthen its leadership in the price comparison website as well as e-commerce markets. It will stay committed to creating more intelligent and convenient shopping experiences for consumers.
Tuesday 3 September 2024
Electroninks launches world-first copper MOD ink to revolutionize advanced Semiconductor packaging
Electroninks, the leader in metal-organic decomposition (MOD) inks for additive manufacturing and advanced semiconductor packaging, today announced the launch of the company's advanced conductive copper ink line.The new copper ink extends Electroninks' global-leading portfolio of metal complex inks while providing further manufacturing flexibility and lower total ownership costs to customers. Electroninks will showcase the new copper ink line at booth Q5152 in Hall 1 of SEMICON Taiwan on September 4-6, 2024.A high-demand application for the new copper ink is seed layer printing for fine-line metallization and RDL formation in combination with the company's proprietary iSAP™ process. For this application, Electroninks copper ink effectively displaces industry use of electroless (e-less) copper plating and physical vapor deposition (PVD) tie layers while achieving a significant increase in manufacturing throughput and a vast reduction in ESG footprint.Compared to legacy methods (PVD and e-less), ink-based additive printing uses a fraction of the water and energy, factory footprint, and CAPEX. This provides customers with the lowest total cost of ownership and the highest ROI on the market.The copper inks are deposited by spray coating, screen printing, inkjet, spin-on, and other conventional printing methods. Beyond the seed layer application, Electroninks is working with customers on a multitude of applications, including advanced packaging, serving a diversity of markets. "These copper inks bolster Electroninks' strong and diverse MOD ink product portfolio and deliver best-in-class ESG and cost savings to customers," stated Brett Walker, CEO and co-founder of Electroninks."MOD inks, which have been on the market from Electroninks for a few years now, provide unique properties that are well suited for today's semiconductor wafer and module-based packages requiring high-performance thermal and power management," stated Jim Haley, Vice President of Marketing, IMAPS Executive Council. "By introducing a copper-based MOD product, markets and customers are generally more supportive, as copper is a standard in electronic design for many use cases. While silver, gold, and other MOD inks will continue to serve this market, we welcome copper MOD inks to address key needs in advanced packaging."Electroninks offers a range of copper ink grades to address customer demand for adhesion to various substrates, including glass, silicon, and EMC. These inks are compatible with multiple printing techniques and can be cured at low temperatures for short times – as low as 140C in 5 minutes under nitrogen or ambient conditions.
Monday 2 September 2024
OmniEyes boosts fleet management efficiency with real-time Edge AI driver behavior analysis
Driver behavior management is a key part of logistics company operation. Unsafe driver behavior not only threatens road safety but also damages the company's reputation, and worse yet, it might incur large legal expenses.OmniEyes provides a total, flexible, and cost-effective fleet management solution built on Edge AI technologies to help logistics companies create a next-generation fleet system by optimizing their resource allocation and intelligently raising their management efficiency.OmniEyes was founded in 2019 by Chun-Ting Chou, Ai-Chun Pang, and Shou-De Lin, three professors at the College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, National Taiwan University. The startup was established with the support of a project jointly promoted by the Ministry of Education and the National Science and Technology Council to encourage scholars to commercialize their research achievements and vitalize Taiwan's startup scene.According to CEO Chun-Ting Chou, OmniEyes was founded to use AI-based image recognition for real-time analyses of images captured by dashboard cameras. The team then progressed to focusing on commercial fleet management solutions built on Edge AI technologies for instant detection of driver misconduct such as running a red light and parking illegally to help fleet owners stay on top of driver behavior management.MyFleet Web Portal featuring an interactive driver-coaching platform. Photo: OmniEyesBoasting software and hardware strengths, MyFleet enables three fleet management advantagesBuilt on both software and hardware strengths, OmniEyes' fleet management solution MyFleet runs on an AI Box PC, featuring a Qualcomm chipset, LTE, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth communication modules, and Android OS. The device supports front and rear cameras and a variety of sensors to deliver all-round monitoring capabilities.In terms of software features, MyFleet is equipped with OmniEyes' in-house developed AI image recognition system that processes video data at the edge in real-time and then sends the event-triggered information to the cloud platform for users to access through a web browser.Chou noted that OmniEyes' MyFleet enables three major advantages. First, by detecting images of driver behavior and vehicle surroundings, reminding the driver to stop before passing through an intersection, and alerting the driver of a red light ahead, the solution provides not only warnings beforehand but also analytics afterward. Fleet owners have access to complete data, allowing them to enhance fleet management efficiency and performance.Second, by equipping the in-vehicle device with Edge AI image processing capabilities, MyFleet significantly reduces data transmission costs. Third, built with a software-centric design, MyFleet supports Over-The-Air (OTA) updates and upgrades, thereby reducing the need for hardware replacements. Furthermore, OmniEyes also provides customized design services to help fleet owners create a fleet management platform suited to their requirements.MyFleet is available in two business models. Customers can make a one-time purchase of the AI box and then pay a monthly fee for using the SaaS MyFleet web portal. Alternatively, they can pay a monthly fee for the use of the hardware and software. Customers have the flexibility to choose a model based on their capex and opex.OmniEyes' solutions have been adopted by well-known third-party logistics companies such as Taiwan Pelican Express and Ally Transport, first-party logistics such as Youbike (Giant Group) as well as taxi and rehabilitation bus fleets to optimize their management efficiency. Customer feedback indicates a 75% reduction in traffic accidents and a 70% reduction in traffic tickets and liability expenses since their adoption of MyFleet. This proves that not only does MyFleet improve fleet management efficiency but it also effectively lowers operation risks, bringing substantial benefits to logistics companies and commercial fleets.In terms of overseas expansion, OmniEyes has made significant progress thanks to its differentiation strategies. Its MyFleet platform has been adopted by the India branch of an international logistics fleet for its fleet of 370 trucks. Validation projects with potential customers in Japan and the U.S. are underway. OmniEyes expects definite results in the near future.A positive startup environment nurtures OmniEyes while TTA boosts its visibilityFor the successful real-world applications of OmniEyes' technologies, Chou gave thanks to the OmniEyes team for their effort. He also identified Taiwan's growingly complete startup environment and TTA's support as key contributing factors. Taiwan has an increasing number of startup accelerators and incubators that guide startup founders on everything including business operation, customer development, fundraising, and organization management.The startups also form an ecosystem where they share experiences and learn from one another. With TTA's support, OmniEyes can increase the visibility of its technologies and products and reach out to more potential investors and customers. Chou emphasized that the increased visibility is critical to the company's early-stage growth. He concluded by noting that Taiwan's startup scene is developing in a positive cycle. He hopes that industry-government-academia collaborations will continue to improve Taiwan's startup environment and invigorate Taiwan's economy.
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